


The Vegetarian Arrangement

by shortiepurk



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23636053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortiepurk/pseuds/shortiepurk
Summary: Regina is a college student who works at a grocery store where Emma shops. Will Emma get Regina to go out with her? Is it meant to be more than just a first date?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

What a long day. A normal day “at the office” could easily involve hundreds of human interactions, but today has been exceptionally draining. Regina considers herself a homebody - an introvert to the core. Regardless, she plasters on a genuine smile to be the best customer service cashier the local grocery store has ever seen.

Truth be told, she hasn’t striven for excellence for her entire tenure at Chip’s Market; her goal to stand out started when a particularly stunning blonde, Mal, was promoted to head cashier. When Mal’s new role required her to spend more time behind the customer service counter, Regina was constantly searching for more reasons to interact with her. Thus, she had taken on several tasks at the customer service counter to improve her chances of spending time with Mal. The customer service desk saw the most customers and juggled answering phones, returns, and general customer inquiries. The multitasking helped Regina prove to Mal that she was a hard worker - someone worthy of her attention.

Unfortunately, today was the first day of Mal’s week-long tropical vacation with her fiancé. Regina didn't have any real hope that Mal would give her a chance, but it was still fun to fantasize about how it would feel to be with her. Work sucks just a bit more when Mal isn't working the same shift, especially when Graham is the closing manager. He's a very nice person, but his nitpicking gets old when we close together. It's even worse when he's in a crappy mood.

The only glimmer of light is that Regina’s best friend in the world, Lena, is working the closing shift with her. As they lock the exterior doors, Regina and Lena quickly move to the supply closet to gather the necessary supplies to clean the bathrooms.

Lena teasingly touches her nose, without giving Regina any warning. “Nose goes, sucka!” she yells as she takes off for the women’s bathrooms. Regina grumbles as she stomps into the men’s bathroom, dreading what disgusting mess she’ll have to clean tonight.

Regina finishes spraying all the urinals and toilets. She lets them soak for a few minutes while she cleans the mirrors and sinks. Lena comes running into the room talking far too quickly for Regina to make out more than a few words.

“Slow down and breathe. You know I can’t understand you right now.”

Lena takes a slightly deeper breath and begins again. “Dammit. Freaking Ruby just told me that she overheard Graham chewing Ari’s ass about the returns not already being put up. He was blowing it so far out of proportion that she almost lost it. Lacey is probably the only reason she stayed calm enough to not get fired. Apparently, Ari asked him several times to announce for each department to come to get their shit, but he kept forgetting. Then he decides to rip her a new one because HE sucks at his job. If it were me, I would’ve just told him to kiss my ass and walked off. Ugh. He’s such a tool!”

“So, we're gonna be here all night? Can’t wait” Regina sarcastically retorts as she walks back to the stall to finish scrubbing the toilet.

Sure enough, Graham was a jerk during his walkthrough. If one single item was out of place, he would yell at Lacey to have someone face the entire aisle because “this department looks horrible.” It took about 30 minutes longer than usual to finally get the store up to Graham’s standard for the evening.

As the staff all walk to their vehicles together, Regina and Lena quietly complain that they'll be closing with Graham for the next four nights. Regina silently wishing that Mal were here this week to help brighten Graham’s mood.

* * *

  
“Gah, I wish Graham would just be cool for one fuckin’ night. I swear he didn’t use to be this bad. I wonder why he’s suddenly chosen to take a single can of beans out of place as a personal offense to his manhood,” Regina whispers as she flees the break room behind Lena. She can still hear Graham ranting to anyone left in the room about how the store always is a mess.

“Shush. Or we’ll never get out of this prison before sunrise!” the beautiful redhead responds.

“But seriously, why did Mal have to leave us with him for a whole week? Can Vicky even afford that? Do you think Mal has to pay for all of it? Ugh, I bet she is. Vicky is not good enough for her.”

“And you think your cashier wages would do any better? Face it, you’re just jealous,” Lena teases.

“Shut up,” the brunette mumbles as she passes Lena. “I just hate to see her taken advantage of. It’s not right.”

“Mhmm. We’ll go with that,” Lena responds as she flips the light on for checkout counter 3. Regina steps behind counter 2 and switches the light on just seconds after Lena. “You’re not running the desk? You’re usually demanding everyone stay out of your space," Lena air quotes.

“Nah. Just feel like getting by and staying away from Graham as much as possible today,” Regina responds.

“So, it has nothing to do with the lack of a certain blonde?”

“Of course not. Just not feeling like cleaning up whatever shit show Ari has left it in today,” Regina snaps.

Before Lena has the chance to respond, she hears a customer dropping items on the belt. She switches into work mode and tunes everything but the customers out.

Regina is grateful for the reprieve as her line also begins filling up with several shoppers. She slips into her routine of making polite conversation with individuals as she quickly scans and bags groceries.

30 minutes later, the brunette has cleared her line and sneaks a glance at her phone. Her Facebook Messenger app has barely opened, and she hears items being placed on her belt. As much as she wants to read the message from her classmate, she flips her phone over and looks up with as close to a real smile as she can manage.

Regina sees a blonde with a full basket as she quickly pulls item after item out of the cart to place on the conveyor belt. Regina swipes the motion sensor to start the groceries moving and works efficiently to scan items to give the blonde more room to keep unloading. There are a lot of different produce items that Regina must type the codes in for individually, but she’s memorized most of them, so she only must look up the few unique vegetables that she rarely uses.

“Are you vegan?” Regina asks as she sees the blonde finally pushing her empty cart to where the newly bagged goods are rapidly filling up the counter.

“Oh, um, not strictly. I mean, I don’t eat meat, really, but I do eat eggs and cheese and stuff. But no meat or fish or anything. But I guess you’d call me a vegetarian since I do eat animal products,” the blonde rambles and she finally looks up.

“Ah, okay. Do you like it?” Regina responds, unsure how to respond to that much information, but trying to keep the dialogue going until she finishes scanning.

“Yeah, it makes me feel way better. Less heavy. Like, I don’t have anything against eating meat, but I just decided to try plant-based eating, and I’m good with it for now,” the blonde responds.

“Oh really? I’ve read that it can be better for digestion and whatnot, but I’m just not sure I can pull the trigger. I like meat too much. I think I’d miss it,” the brunette replied.

“I think it’s great, but you do have to experiment with dishes a bit at the beginning. It can be challenging to eat at some restaurants, so you gotta be committed to it before jumping into social settings, for sure,” the blonde excitedly explains. “It took some adjustment at first, but now it’s just my normal. I rarely think about it. But it does take some extra planning, in my experience. “

“I imagine it’s expensive. I don’t know that I could even afford to give it a shot. Plus, it must take so long to prepare everything. Maybe someday I’ll have the discipline. But kudos for sticking to it. That’s great!” The brunette compliments in hopes of ending the discussion. She scans the last bag of frozen fruit and presses the button to display the blonde’s total. “That’ll be $162.58, please.”

The blonde inserts her card and waits for Regina to press the button to process the payment. “Well, I always enjoy introducing people to the fun side of plant-based. So, if you’d ever like a test meal, I’d be happy to let you try it out. Free of charge, of course,” the blonde boldly states as she pulls her card from the machine and moves to finish loading her bags into her cart.

Regina is taken aback by how forward the woman is, but easily responds, “Do you proposition all your cashiers for a home-cooked meal?”

Without any hesitation, the blonde smoothly replies, “Only the gorgeous ones who seem interested in, said, home-cooked meal.” She flashes a wide smile and waits for any response from the cashier.

“Oh, well,” she stammers, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t even know you and it's kinda sketchy to jump right into inviting a stranger back to your place. Especially while sober. But thanks anyway.”

Having finished the conversation, Regina turns her back on the blonde and looks to the next customer who is unloading their items onto the conveyor belt. She begins scanning the items, doing her best to avoid looking in the direction where she last saw the blonde. She hopes she’s made herself very clear, but she hasn’t heard the cart moving away so she isn’t sure if the blonde has left.

Regina jumps a bit at the sound of the voice behind her, “That’s totally fair, I’m sorry to have made you uncomfortable. I’m never quite this forward, but I can’t let this opportunity slip by. So, rather than my cooking, how about I meet you at a completely neutral restaurant and I will treat you to a friendly meal, in hopes of getting to know you just a little bit better. One dinner and you can even walk out if you feel like I’m still sketchy,” the blonde gently offers with a tentative smile on her face.

“What? Why?”

The blonde chuckles a bit but confidently responds, “Because you seem very interesting to talk to. And I’d like to keep talking to you. And since I don’t want to shop here every day and come off as even sketchier than I already have, I think I should be upfront in my desire to see you outside of Chip's Market. And since you seem interested in my dietary choices, I’d like to give you a chance to try vegetarian... with me.”

Regina forgets that she had another order partially rung up in front of her as she gapes at the strange offer. A woman clearing her throat snaps her back to reality and she quickly focused back on the items left on the belt. 30 seconds later, she has totaled out the order and bags the last few items while the woman pays. Regina takes the few seconds to try to slow her racing thoughts, but the receipt is printing moments later, ending her excuse to stall. The woman gathers her groceries and quickly walks off, subtly staring back at the blonde woman who stands steadfast, waiting for the cashier's answer.

“I... I guess. If you’re sure you want to. But I am not the greatest company. And I haven’t tried much food aside from burgers and pizza, so I may hate it. I don’t know if you want to waste your money on an unsophisticated person like me.”

“I’ll take my chances. And if you hate it, we can always leave to get you a pizza. Or a burger. Or whatever else you’d rather have. My name is Emma, by the way,” the blonde rambles as she pulls a card out of her wallet.

“I’m Regina... Which you probably already knew thanks to the name tag... but yeah, in case you didn’t, my name is Regina,” the brunette finishes as she reaches out for whatever card Emma is handing to her. “Wow, you have a business card. You’re seriously giving me your business card?”

“Uhh, yeah? Should I not have? I thought you’d like to have my number to set up a time, but maybe you didn’t plan to go through with it? Um, you know what, you’ve got my card. I hope you’ll call or text or email or whatever, but I understand if I’ve creeped you out too much. Have a great day,” the blonde rushes out as she’s already pushing the cart toward the exit.

Regina looks at the retreating woman until she has turned the corner out of the exit. She then looks down at the crisp white card in her hand.  
 **EMMA SWAN**  
 _Chief Financial Officer_

Seconds later the card is snatched from her hand as Lena shrieks, "What the actual fuck just happened? Did you seriously just get a date with a sexy blonde? How?”

“I have no earthly idea,” is all Regina can say as she takes the card back from Lena to stare at Emma’s name some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic, please let me know what you think. Should I keep going?


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm so freaking excited! I can't believe it's finally here. It's gonna be so magical!" Lena exclaims as she and Regina sit in the break room the next evening. "I mean, I know you don't like Taylor, but this is gonna be the concert of the year."

Regina rolls her eyes as she nods her head, yet again. "I hope it's everything you've ever dreamed of," Regina responds. She had tuned Lena out several minutes ago. The entire 10 minutes of this 15-minute break has been spent with Lena bragging about her VIP access to the Taylor Swift concert. Regina doesn't have anything against the singer, but she is not a fan, so she completely lost interest in this conversation shortly after it began.

"Ugh, it's no fun to rub it in your face when you sound so bored," Lena huffs in frustration. "What are your plans for tomorrow night? Anything exciting? Anything... blonde?" 

"Don't be ridiculous, I haven't spoken to Emma since she left the store yesterday," Regina says, trying to sound as casual as possible. She had stared at the business card far too often in the past 24 hours, but she doesn't want Lena to know that.

"Why the hell not? She wants you. And she's hot. Go for it," Lena pushes.

"We know, literally, nothing about this woman. Why is she trying to pick up a grocery store cashier? She's gorgeous and clearly has established herself in her career. I'm working at Chip's Market. There must be something wrong with her."

"Where was she meant to pick you up? The opera?" Lena deadpans. "Her only option is to pick you up where she's met you. What's so wrong with that?"

"You don't think she was just a bit too... much? I've never heard of groceries leading to a date."

"I think it was bold. Who knows why she was so interested in your conversation, but it took balls to ask you out like that. I think it could be fun to see what she's like. Or are you not interested?" Lena responds.

"She is beautiful, I'll give you that, but I don't know if there's anything else about her that I'm actually interested in. The only thing I know is that she's a vegetarian."

"Well, at least you know she's not a cannibal."

"Oh gee, what a freaking relief!" Regina sarcastically exclaims. "But for real, I don't know if I want to go out with someone I met at work. She's a CFO, what could she possibly have in common with a college student working at a grocery store?"

"She clearly doesn't care, so why do you? Now you won't have to be embarrassed to tell her what you do for a living when she flashes her cash!" 

"Whatever. I just don't know," Regina says with a sense of doubt in her quieted voice.

"If you're so worried about why she's talking to you, why don't you just ask her?"

"If I contact her at all, she's going to want an answer about the date. I don't know the answer, so I'll just sound like an idiot. I'll be way too embarrassed to even go out on a date with her, so it'll defeat the whole purpose." 

"Then, just text her. Feel her out a bit. If you get creeper vibes, just block her and move on," Lena explains.

"And say what? 'Hey, why are you talking to me when you can have anyone you want? Are you a serial killer?' I'll sound stupid."

"Ugh, give me the damn phone. I'll take care of it," Lena says as she wiggles the fingers of her outstretched hand.

"What makes you think I have her card with me?" 

"Do you?"

After a pause, Regina reaches into her pocket and pulls out the white card. She stares down at it for a few seconds before cautiously holding it out. Lena takes the card from the brunette and quickly snatches the phone from Regina's hands, not allowing her to change her mind.

_R: Hey! This is Regina from Chip's Market. I'd like to take you up on your offer for dinner. Let me know when and where._

Lena presses the send button and holds the phone out to Regina. "You already sent it? Why would you send that? I want to ask why she's asking me out, not agree to a date!"

"Ask her while you're at dinner," Lena states, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're insufferable," Regina states as she grabs the card and shoves it into her pocket. She turns to exits the breakroom, ignoring any possible comeback from her friend.

* * *

Regina pushed the home button to light up her cellphone screen for the hundredth time since Lena had sent the text an hour ago. Not seeing a new notification, she huffs and presses the power button to turn the screen dark again.

"Still no response?" Lena asks.

"Nope, nothing," Regina replies. She sees her screen light up moments later and keeps her face neutral while her stomach flips. 

Thankfully, Regina does not have to wait long before a customer enters Lena's checkout station. With Lena's back turned, Regina quickly opens her phone to open up the text conversation with the blonde. She rereads the text messages before considering her response.

_E: Hey, I'm kind of surprised to hear from you. I thought you'd be too freaked out to ever talk to me again._

_R: Well, I guess you were wrong about me._

_E: I'm happy to be wrong. When are you free?_

_R: My schedule changes every week, but I'm off tomorrow night, Sunday, and Tuesday._

_E: Any night better than the others?_

_R: It depends on what time you want to do, but I would be available for dinner any of those nights._

_E: Okay, cool. I'll check my schedule and get back to you soon._

Regina stares at the last text from Emma. That's an odd response, she thinks to herself. An uneasy feeling settles in her stomach but she types out a response.

_R: Alright. Let me know._

As she re-reads Emma's last message, she considers reasons for her needing to check her schedule. Did she say something wrong to screw it up already? Did she just realize how different their worlds are? What if she has so many dates lined up that she needs to check her schedule to avoid overlap? Or she has a girlfriend already? Or a husband?

"Why do you look like you're about to puke?" Lena asks, halting Regina's mental spiral.

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine," the brunette stalls. She mentally searches for an excuse that doesn't require confessing to the text conversation, "just cramping a bit." 

If the redhead suspects a lie, she doesn't show it. "Oh, that sucks. You need something for it?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," Regina answers, relieved to have dodged further questions but concerned with Emma's response.

* * *

Later that night, Regina is working on the writing assignment that is due the next day. She had completed the rough draft of her essay 30 minutes ago. She is now trying to edit the essay to remove extra words since her professor requires a maximum of 2,000 words. She glances at the clock to find that it is well past 1:00 AM and decides that it's time to quit for the night. 

To be honest, she hasn't been fully focused on the writing anyway. Her thoughts keep straying to the lack of response from Emma. As late as it is, she knows it's unlikely that she'll hear from the blonde tonight. That doesn't stop her from checking for a new text notification every few minutes. Screw it, Regina thinks to herself, I need to just go to bed. I have classes tomorrow and I'll have to finish editing this essay. I'll deal with Emma when she texts me back.

She places her cell phone on her nightstand and heads to the bathroom to clean her face and finish getting ready for bed. When she returns, she checks her phone for a message but is not surprised when she finds none.

She turns off the light and crawls into bed. She's on the edge of sleep when she hears her phone vibrate. Her eyes pop open and she quickly grabs her phone. She is disappointed to find the notification from Twitter, rather than Emma.

She decides to turn on "DO NOT DISTURB" in hopes of falling asleep.

* * *

Friday morning, Regina wakes up when her alarm clock sounds at 8:30 AM. She considers pressing the snooze button but knows it is futile, so she grabs her phone and disables the alarm. Her heart rate immediately picks up when she sees a text message from Emma that arrived just 13 minutes earlier. 

_E: Are you still available for dinner tonight?_


	3. Chapter 3

Regina returned home from campus after her second lecture of the day. It’s 4:30 and her essay is due at midnight. She had taken her laptop hoping to edit the document between classes, but she lost track of time while scrolling through Facebook. She needs to leave for dinner with Emma at 7:15. She deletes another unnecessary sentence when her phone vibrates from the cushion beside her.

_E: Hey! I’m so sorry, but something came up and I won’t be able to make it until closer to 7:30._

Regina grinds her teeth at the change of plans and thinks, What is it with this woman? She tries to appreciate the extra 30 minutes, but she can’t stop the growing irritation.

_R: Okay._

* * *

Regina is furious. Emma hasn’t been in contact and she’s 15 minutes late. She repeatedly checks the screen to see if she missed a text. Regina decides that she will wait until 8:00; if the blonde has not arrived by then, she’ll block and delete the number.

Regina’s mood swings between anger, embarrassment, and sadness as she watches the clock change to 7:59, and Emma is still nowhere in sight. She accepts her fate and considers sending one final message before she blocks and deletes the woman from her contact.

_R: Thanks for standing me up._

She hesitates for a moment and chooses to send the text once she’s calm.

Regina gets into her car and opens the music library to the artist Hed PE. The first notes begin, and she cranks the volume up. Angry lyrics overtake her thoughts during the drive.

Regina kills the engine and walks inside the house. She hears vibration from her bed while undressing. Regardless of her annoyance, a part of her hopes that Emma is calling.

“Hello?”

“Oh my god, Regina, I am so sorry. I tried to be there on time. Today hasn’t been my day. I am about 2 minutes away, are you still there?” Emma rushes out in a single breath.

“Don’t bother. I’m already at home.”

Emma releases a groan, “Fuck.”

“Yep, ‘fuck’ is appropriate. Give me a reason not to hang up right now,” Regina demands, voice raising by the end.

“I swear, I wanted to be there **before** you. I was trying so hard, I just couldn’t...” the blonde trails off.

“Couldn’t what?” 

After a long pause, Emma finally admits, “It’s too soon to go into the details.”

Unsatisfied with the vague explanation, Regina fires back, “Are you fucking kidding me? Is it a girlfriend? Husband? Another date? What excuse requires so much secrecy?”

“I swear, I’m not seeing anyone else. I just can’t tell you the exact reason I fucked up tonight. I will... someday, but not right now. Please give me a chance,” Emma pleads.

Regina hears the sorrow in the other woman’s voice and feels a twinge of pity. “You better not stand me up again.”

“I promise I won’t!” Emma exclaims in relief. She knows she’s pressing her luck, but she asks anyway, “Any chance you’d be up for giving me that chance now? It doesn’t have to be dinner. We could get some ice cream or something. Hell, I’ll skip food altogether if it means you’ll meet me. Please?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I know I keep changing everything, but I do want to see you tonight.”

“Fine. I’m about 10 minutes away from downtown, but I need to get redressed before I can leave. You’ll have to wait for me.”

“Deal. Where do you want to go?”

“I’m still hungry, I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Regina admits.

“Still want to try Granny’s? Or you can choose whatever you want, I’ll go anywhere.”

“Granny’s is fine. You are meant to introduce me to vegetarian food,” Regina says with a healthy dose of snark. “I’ll text you when I get there.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” Emma responds. When she doesn’t hear a response, she looks at her phone screen and finds that the call had already ended. “Fuck.”

* * *

Regina parks the car and checks her reflection in the rear-view mirror. After confirming that her hair still looks good, she grabs her cell phone to text Emma that she’s arrived.

_R: Just parked. Where are you?_

_E: I’m just inside. I’ll meet in front of Granny’s. Is that okay?_

_R: Yeah, be there in a minute._

“Hey,” Emma says as Regina approaches the door.

“Hey, how are you?”

“I’m okay. I am so, **so** sorry that I’m late,” Emma stresses. “I promise I was trying and I thought I’d make it here by 7:30. Dammit, I should’ve said 8:00 in the first place.”

“It’s fine. We’re here now and I’m starving, so let’s go,” Regina motions to the door.

“Okay. So, this is not a vegetarian restaurant, but they have some amazing vegetarian options. If you still want to try meatless, but I won’t judge if you decide to get whatever you want. I want you to be happy with your food.”

Regina chuckles at Emma’s worried rambling. “If it’s alright with you, I’ll look through the menu before I make any official decisions?”

A host guides the pair to a booth in the back corner of the restaurant. “Dana will be with you in just a moment. I hope you enjoy your meal.”

After looking at the large menu for a few minutes, Regina breaks the comfortable silence. “What would you recommend to be my first official vegetarian meal?”

“Well, it depends on what you’re in the mood for tonight. The salads are good, though I’m sure you’ve had plenty of salads in your life. Unless you wanted it on the side. The grilled cheese sandwiches are delicious and the soups are good, too. The pasta options are tasty. The pizza is phenomenal.” 

“That’s, basically, a summary of the entire menu. I was hoping you would give me recommendations,” Regina deadpans.

Taken aback by Regina’s attitude, Emma pauses to reconsider her previous suggestions. She was nervous and felt bad about being late, but this snark seemed a bit harsh. “Um, why don’t you tell me what catches your eye, and I’ll give an opinion.”

“Okay, I was leaning toward a veggie wrap or a pizza,” the brunette says in a kinder tone.

“Oh, those are both amazing. I, personally, love the Margherita pizza or the Veggie Deluxe. The wraps are good, but I’ve been spoiled with Salata wraps, so they aren’t quite as exciting here.”

“What’s a Salata?”

“You haven’t been to Salata? Oh my god, it’s kind of like Subway meets a salad bar. They have so many toppings and dressing options. But I always get the wraps because they’re delicious.”

“Hmm, I’ll have to check that out sometime. But it sounds like I’m getting pizza tonight.”

“Me too. What kind are you thinking?”

“I’d be open to either veggie or Margherita.”

“The pizzas are big, but I love leftovers, so how about we order one of each. You can try them both and see which you like more?” the blonde offers.

“Sounds good,” Regina says as she closes her menu and looks up at Emma. “So, why were you so late?”

The waitress walks up to the table with 2 glasses of water. “Hey, my name is Dana and I’ll be taking care of you this evening. You’ve got water to start, but can I get you anything else to drink?”

Emma looks to Regina, raising her eyebrows in question. “I’m all good with water, but thank you,” Regina answers. 

“I’m good with water, as well. But we are ready to order.”

Emma places the order and says thanks to the waitress as she leaves the table. Emma looks to Regina to find her staring at her, expecting a response to her previous question.

“I told you, I’m not comfortable sharing that quite yet. I know you have no reason to trust me... Can you please try to believe me when I say it was very important and that I will tell you soon?”

“Soon? How soon?”

“Can we see how tonight goes? If you’re miserable, it won’t matter anyway.”

“Why would I be miserable? What if you hate the date and never want to speak to me again?” Regina asks with a touch of insecurity in her voice.

“That’s valid, but I wouldn’t have asked you out if I thought this date was gonna be a failure.”

“What about me makes you think I’m a good date?” the brunette presses.

“Wow, you aren’t letting it go. Okay, well... I felt a certain spark while we were talking yesterday. I can’t put it into words, but I feel like we could ‘click’ and I want to explore it,” Emma trails off. “I’m sure that sounds ridiculous since our conversation was only a few minutes, but I can’t help it. I just feel like we could have a good conversation.”

The answer satisfies Regina, so she replies, “Okay, I’ll drop it. Tell me about yourself, instead.”

“Umm... Red is my favorite color. I rarely watch movies, but I love watching TV series. I love reading online content but can’t tell you the last book I read. I don’t have any pets but I prefer dogs over cats. As I’m sure you gathered from my card, I’m the CFO at LTI. I’ve worked there for a little over 3 years. Ummm... what else do you want to know?”

“You’ve only worked there for 3 years and you’re already CFO? Did you have a lot of experience before you got hired?”

“Uh, not so much. I had an internship during college.”

“Is that typical?” the brunette asks.

“Not particularly. Especially if you ask the men in the company,” Emma adds under her breath.

“Damn. You must be amazing at your job to move up so quickly.”

“I didn’t sleep with the boss if that’s your next question,” the blonde responds defensively.

Understanding that she’s hit a sore subject, Regina tries to calm the blonde, “No, I didn’t think that. I’m impressed. I can only hope to be as successful as you.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Emma sheepishly adds.

“No, I’m guessing you get a lot of shit about it, so, understandably, you are defensive. I’m sorry that it came off that way. I truly didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

“It’s okay. I just deal with that exact mentality daily, so I guess I assume that’s what everyone thinks. I’m not trying to sound conceited, but I am very good at my job, so it hurts when it’s implied that I slept my way to the top.”

“Well, there goes another topic. Anything else left on the ‘awkward conversation topics’ list?” Regina says in a self-deprecating way.

“It’s not you, I’m just nervous. I don’t mean to be on guard. I promise I’m not usually such a mysterious jerk.”

Regina lets out a bark of laughter before quieting to a more respectable chuckle. “And I promise I’m not always so skeptical. I’ve been through the spectrum of emotions today and I guess my filter is lacking.”

“I’m sorry for changing the plans so much. That couldn’t have helped and I feel horrible.”

“Honestly, I was mad, but I was more embarrassed to be stood up. I don’t want to hold it against you... At least not until you tell me why you were so late,” Regina adds with a smirk.

“Wow, that’s very sweet of you. I will do my best to never leave you waiting ever again.”

Regina isn’t quite sure how to respond to the statement implying future dates. She’s quiet for a minute while trying to come up with a less awkward topic.

Emma breaks the silence next, “I want to know more about you. What do you do, aside from working at Chip’s?”

“Not much. I lead a dull life. Work and classes or homework fill most of my days.”

“What are you going for?”

“Well, I have my undergrad in biology. I thought I wanted to be a doctor, so I was setting myself up for med school. But after realizing that I don’t have much interest in any specific field, I am going for my MBA.”

“Wow, that’s a big change. What made you want to be a doctor in the first place? Did something happen to change your mind?”

“I was following in my mother’s footsteps. Mainly because I thought that’s what she’d want for me. But I needed to declare a specialty and I couldn’t think of a single practice that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Mother was a pediatrician, but I could never work with kids, so that was not an option. I could never be a surgeon, and life as a PCP sounds so dull. As I said, nothing stuck out as an option, so I realized that I was in it for the wrong reasons. I was setting myself up for a miserable career,” Regina ends with a laugh.

“It’s good that you figured that out before med school.”

“Definitely. Now, I’ll be graduating with my MBA in August, and then hoping like hell that someone will hire me.”

“That’s awesome! You’re so close.”

They pause the conversation as the waitress approaches their table. Dana places the pizzas on the table and quickly returns with plates and silverware. “Anything else?” Dana asks.

Emma confirms that they do not need anything else before dismissing the waitress. The pair each place a slice of pizza on their plates and take their first bite of cheesy heaven.


	4. Chapter 4

_E: I had fun last night. I would love to see you again!_

_R: I enjoyed it, too. Once you finally showed up, that is…_ 😉

_E: Again, I am SOOOO sorry. I will be early next time._

_R: Please do. I’d hate to kick to you to curb so soon, lol._

_E: Already talking about getting rid of me? Ouch._

_R: At least I am saying I don’t WANT to. Does that help at all?_

Emma had texted Regina right as the store was closing, so Regina responded intermittently between cleaning tasks. Now that the brunette is comfortable in bed, she is staring at the conversation that the blonde has not responded to in 45 minutes. She sends one last message, hoping to spark further communication but not expecting as much.

_R: To be clear, I would like to see you again. I have classes every weekday and then I work 4:00-10:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I have a full shift on weekends, but the schedule changes, so I’m never sure of the times or which day. Let me know what works for you._

Satisfied with the message, she presses ‘send’ and grabs her tablet to open Hulu. Opting for a mindless show to help her wind-down, she selects _Friends_ and settles in as the opening scene begins. Halfway through the episode, she feels her phone vibrate and her heart rate picks up in excitement.

_E: Awesome! Weeknights are hard for me, so how about next Friday night?_

_R: Sounds good. What do you want to do?_

_E: I’m down for anything._

_R: How would you feel about seeing Frozen 2? I know it’s for kids, but I loved the songs from the first one and I’m excited to see the second._

It surprises Regina to find that an entire episode passes without a response from the other woman.

_R: You know what, that was a lame idea. I’ll watch it some other time. Any other movie you’d be interested in seeing?_

She tosses her phone a few feet away from her in frustration. It has been so long since she’s tried dating, that she just suggested the second date be to a kid’s movie. A slight vibration startles the brunette, and she quickly dives for the phone.

_E: LOL You’re adorable. Honestly, I was planning on seeing that movie with Henry._

Regina thinks about last night’s conversation and doesn’t remember hearing about anyone named ‘Henry’. 

_R: Who is Henry?_

Rather than a text message notification, the phone rings with an incoming call.

“Hello?” Regina answers with confusion.

After a beat, Regina hears Emma’s shaky voice, “I’m sorry I’ve been taking so long to answer. I’ve been debating on whether to tell you about Henry.”

“Ummm, I assume you’re not calling to tell me you will **not** tell me about him?”

“You’re right, I’m just stalling. The truth is... Henry is my son.”

“Your son?”

“Yes, he is my son.”

“And his father?”

“I’ve never met him,” the blonde states.

“You mean you’re not sure who he is?”

“No, I mean I have never met the man. I adopted Henry.”

“Adopted?” Regina questions. “When did you adopt him? I didn’t think a single female in her early 20s could adopt.”

“I adopted him when he was born, four years ago. His mother, Lily, was my roommate. She had been sleeping with a professor, so when she got pregnant she freaked out. He told her to get an abortion, but she was adamant that she wanted to keep the baby. I think she honestly believed that he would change his mind for the baby. Unfortunately, at around 37 weeks, she finally understood that he wanted nothing to do with her. She realized how hard it would be to care for a child by herself and put him up for adoption. I tried to convince her to reconsider, but she had made up her mind. I even offered to help her in the beginning, but she just didn’t want him. The adoption agency quickly had a couple lined up for adoption, but something fell through the day before Lily went into labor. She refused to even see him after he was born, not even to check that he was okay. I had been the one to take Lily to the hospital, so I was still around when she made **that** decision. The nurse asked if I would like to see the baby before they took him to the nursery. I initially said no, but she told me that he would likely only see hospital staff for weeks and my heart broke. I couldn’t let his first few hours be strictly clinical, let alone his first few weeks. So I held him… and I couldn’t let go. He was so perfect, I fell in love with him instantly. Officially, it took about 6 months for the paperwork to all go through, but Lily named me as his temporary guardian until it became official so he’s been my since day one,” Emma finishes.

“Holy shit.”

After a lengthy pause, Emma realizes that the brunette would not continue. “Yeah, so I am a single mother of a four-year-old boy,” she stated the obvious to fill the silence.

Just before Emma gave up all hope, she hears a deep sigh from the other woman before Regina responds, “Okay, so you’re a mother. That’s… cool.”

The blonde feels her stomach drop and understands that this was too much for Regina to process. Feeling defeated, she offers, “Yeah, I am. And I know it’s a lot to handle, so I’ll let you go to think. I understand if this changes everything and I won’t hold it against you if you never speak to me again. I **did** have a lot of fun with you last night and I would love to do it again if you are up to it. That being said, Henry is my world, so I need you to be okay with him for us to work. Have a good night, Regina,” the blonde finishes quietly before hanging up.

* * *

“I can’t be a mom, yet,” Regina states to Lena while on break Monday evening. “How am I supposed to react to her having a four-year-old?”

“Did she ask you to be his other mom? I know you’d be around him, but I don’t know that she’s expecting you to be his parent. Definitely not this soon.”

“She told me I have to be okay with Henry. That sounds like she’s expecting me to be in his life. We’ve only been out once! Gah, I really know how to pick ‘em.”

“So tell her you’re not interested and move on,” Lena replies.

“But she’s fun… and gorgeous… and she likes me.”

“It sounds like you **are** interested. So, how are you with children?”

“I’m great with kids. It’s more of a question of how I am with **Henry** ,” Regina stresses. “I’ve always been the fun babysitter, what if she doesn’t like how I act around him? Like, am I gonna be too lenient? Or will she get mad if I tell him what to do? It’s too much!”

“Woah. You need to step back and remember she’s not proposing marriage. It sounds like she was explaining her priorities, not uhauling.”

Feeling her face heat with embarrassment, Regina considers Lena’s statement. “Okay, you’re right. Maybe it’d be okay. Maybe I could be his friend.”

Regina pulls out her phone to text Emma before she loses her nerve.

_R: Sorry for freezing the other night. That was not at all what I expected you to tell me._

Though she feels that she should explain herself, Regina wants to break the ice before jumping in too deep with questions. Beside her, Lena stands from her chair and waits for Regina to follow her out of the break room. During the brief walk back to the customer service counter, her phone vibrates in her hand. For the next 30 minutes, Regina sneakily responds to Emma between customers.

_E: That’s understandable, I’m hoping this text means that you’re willing to try?_

_R: Honestly, I’m not sure how it will work. But I would like to meet up and discuss it more. I don’t think this is a conversation to be had over the phone and definitely not through text._

_E: That would be great! Are you still available for Friday night? It won’t be quite the ‘dinner and a movie’ date that we had originally planned, but I want to talk ASAP._

_R: Yes, Friday works for me._

Regina reads through the text conversation again and remembers how evasive Emma had been during the date on Friday.

_R: I’m guessing the reason you were late on Friday had something to do with Henry? Is that why you couldn’t tell me?_

_E: Great! And yes, you are correct. I’m sorry if I came across as shady… I usually have my neighbor babysit him, but she ended up getting into a wreck on her way home from work. I had my friend’s grandmother as a backup but she was late and then I had to talk her through everything since she rarely watches him. I should have texted to let you know that I would be late when Granny didn’t show on time, but I naively thought it would go faster. By the time she was comfortable with the apartment and his schedule, I was already 30 minutes late, which is when I called you…_

_R: That makes sense. Your reason is justified, I’m sorry for being such a bitch about it the other night._

_E: Don’t apologize, you had no way of knowing. I should have just told you then, it’s not like it stayed a secret for very much longer, anyway._

_R: Considering how poorly I reacted, I can’t blame you for not telling me._

_E: So you don’t regret going out with me now that you know?_

_R: No, I don’t regret it. But I can honestly say I wouldn’t have stuck around, had you told me. Which makes me horrible... I know._

_E: LOL no, you aren’t horrible. But it means that you reacted the same as women in the past have. That’s why I don’t lead with that tidbit of information. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’d rather know it is because of ME rather than my son._

_R: What do you mean by that? If you tell her later and she bolts, doesn’t that kinda mean it’s because of him?_

_E: That’s one way to look at it. But I look at it as ME not being enough for the woman. If I had been enough before she finds out about Henry, she would at least meet him and find out who he is. If she runs as soon as she hears about him, that means she wasn’t genuinely interested in ME. She was not in it for the right reasons. Which makes it a little bit easier for me to move on._

_R: You’re right. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it’s true._

_E: I think it’s logical and has merit._

_E: I want you to know that I don’t - and won’t - hold it against you if you’re not interested in a future with me. I recognize that you didn’t know you had accepted a date with a single mom. I would love to meet up to talk, but you aren’t committing to anything._

_R: I appreciate that. Honestly, I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m feeling ever since you told me._

_E: I figured. No pressure._

_R: Thank you._

Regina appreciates feeling somewhat lighter after texting Emma. Recognizing a natural ending to the conversation, she chooses to save further discussion for another day.

_R: The store is getting busy, so I’m gonna let you go for now. Text me with the details for Friday, once you know when and where._

_E: Will do. I hope you have a good night. Talk to you later._


	5. Chapter 5

As she enters Salata, Regina feels her stomach twist with nerves. The pair had not texted one another, aside from making dinner plans, since the phone conversation on Monday. Emma had suggested a nicer restaurant, but the brunette requested a casual date in case the conversation goes poorly.

“Hey, you made it!” Emma greets excitedly.

“I did, and you beat me. Very nice.”

“I told you I would be better. I can’t let you down twice in a row.”

With a smile, Regina looks the line with 2 other customers. “I need you to help me out here, I’m not entirely sure how this works.”

“I’ll go first, but you just choose what you would like from the options. You know your taste preferences better than I do, so it’s more about what you want to taste. You can either have a traditional salad or a wrap, which is what I get. It’s a salad inside of a tortilla, so the same flavors as a salad, but you can taste almost everything in each bite, rather than what fits on the fork.” 

“That sounds good, I think I’ll have that.”

Regina asks Emma for recommendations as they move through the line. Regina pays for their food and the duo moves to a table in the corner that offers the most privacy. Emma waits expectantly for Regina to take her first bite of the food. She smiles wide when she hears a sound of appreciation from the brunette.

“So, you like it?”

“Yes, this is delicious. Who knew salad could be so good!”

Rather than a response, the blonde smiles and digs into her food. The quiet settles around them as they each take several bites of food. All the while, Regina works up the nerve to jump into the discussion about Henry.

“Tell me about Henry.”

“He’s amazing. I know I’m biased, but he’s the smartest, sweetest, most handsome little boy in the universe. He’s in preschool, but he already knows the alphabet, can count to 100, and writes his full name. He’s even pretty good at writing the alphabet and numbers. And he’s such a little artist! He loves to color and draw whenever I let him. And he makes up the silliest stories to go with his drawings.”

Regina feels her wide smile from the blonde’s infectious energy. “I’m not sure what is normal for a 4-year-old, but he sounds very smart. When is his birthday?”

“May 15th.”

“Wow, so he’ll be five in a few weeks. Any exciting plans for a party?”

“We’re mostly gonna keep it low-key. I have a few friends who are basically family, coming over. He’s also chosen 3 friends from his class to come over, so he should have a blast.”

“That sounds great. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of fun.”

“I certainly hope so. I always want to make his birthdays special.”

A silence spreads over the pair as Regina considers how to consider her next question.

“What does Henry know about your relationships?”

“He knows nothing, but that’s because I haven’t been in a relationship since he was born.”

“No one?”

“I’ve had a few dates, but as soon as Henry comes up, they all become ‘too busy’ for a serious relationship.”

“Okay then, how  ** would  ** you handle it? If we were to date, would I meet him? Would I be your ‘friend’? What would my role be in his life?”

Emma chuckles as she considers her response. “Jumping right it, huh? I’m not positive about your role, but it’s not solely my decision. Obviously, it would be a little while before you would meet Henry. I want us to be solid before he can get attached. If we are dating, he will know that you are more than just a friend. I’m not ashamed of my sexuality and I don’t want him to  ** ever ** think being gay is something to fear.”

“Let’s say we were to date and I meet him. How do you imagine I’d fit in? Like, would I be a ‘cool aunt’ type or more of a parent? Or something else entirely?”

“What would  ** you ** want to be?” 

“I have no idea... which is not at all helpful to this conversation.”

“That’s fair,” Emma concedes. “Have you ever wanted to be a mother?”

“Yes, I’ve always thought I’d have 2 children someday.”

“Does Henry not being biologically yours bother you? Or that you didn’t know him from birth?”

“Not at all. Blood is not what makes a family. I’ve never  ** wanted ** to carry the child, I always figured that my partner would or we would adopt.”

“Okay, then is there something else that worries you?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready to be a parent. I’m still in school, and my schedule at work isn’t the most consistent. What if I’m not around enough for him? I may be too busy to be what he needs... Or, what if I fall in love with him and then we break up? I won’t have any right to stay in his life. I’d be losing a child that I consider mine, which I don’t know if I could survive,” Regina quietly finishes. 

“To be clear, I’m not asking you to be his parent unless you want to. Of course, if you don’t want anything to do with him, that’s a problem, but you don’t have to fulfill the parent role. Especially at first. But, if we were to become serious enough for you to be in Henry’s life, I won’t rip you two apart. I want Henry to have all the love that he can get.”

Regina considers how to phrase her next question, finally asking, “would there ever be the option for me to have legal rights to him? Like, would you ever be willing to give up your sole parental rights?”

“If that were something that you  ** both ** wanted, absolutely.”

“I’m still nervous...  ** very ** nervous, but I think that helps ease some of the doubts.”

Emma stares at her hands as she nervously picks at her thumb when she quietly asks, “So does that mean you’re interested in seeing where this could go?”

Regina considers how she feels before responding, “I think so.”

The blonde’s head jerks up as she asks, “Really? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious. It still scares me, but mostly because I don’t want to fail. And if I do, I’ll be failing you  ** and ** Henry. You having a child only highlights the importance of evaluating our feelings as we go. Before I meet Henry, we’ll need to be sure we’re both fully invested in this. That’s critical for me.”

“I completely agree.”

“Awesome. Now that we’ve had the heavy discussion, let’s try something a little less intense. This is meant to be our second date, after all,” Regina cheekily adds.

Emma barks out a loud laugh. “Why don’t you tell me a little more about your interests?”

“I’ve already mentioned that I’m very dull. I am a granny at heart. I don’t like to drink or party, I’d prefer to be home and getting ready for bed by ten. If I’m not working, I’m usually hanging out at my apartment watching TV and studying, if I need to.”

“What do you like to watch?”

“I watch a bunch of different shows. Right now I’m watching  _ Community _ for mindless, background noise. As far as current shows, I enjoy  _ The Resident _ ,  _ The Rookie _ ,  _ New Amsterdam _ ,  _ Brooklyn Nine-Nine _ ,  _ Superstore _ , and probably a bunch more that I can’t remember right this second.”

“Wow, that’s quite a list. I haven’t heard of most of those.”

“Yeah, I watch a bunch of TV shows. Do you watch TV very often?”

“Does Dora the Explorer and Peppa the Pig count?”

“I guess it technically does, but I’m not going to be able to carry on a conversation about either,” Regina teases.

“Yeah, that’s what I figured.”

“So what do you do in your free time?”

“Most of my free time is solely for Henry. I work during the day, so I try to make evenings all about him and what he enjoys. We do a bunch of puzzles together, and he loves to play board games. His favorite right now is a kid’s version of Pictionary. We don’t play it by the typical rules, but we take turns drawing and guessing. He’s getting so good at it.”

“That sounds so cool! I bet he loves how much time you spend together. Playing with my father are some of my most cherished childhood memories.”

“Do you want to tell me about your parents?”

“Both of my parents have passed away. My mother passed away when I was nineteen. She had been sick for a couple of months with what she kept saying was just a cold, but she got really bad and then just passed away unexpectedly. Then my father was involved in an accident with a drunk driver 3 years ago and didn’t make it.”

“Damn, that had to have been so hard. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, don’t worry about it. It was very difficult, but the pain is more bearable now. I can think back on them and remember the happiness, rather than the heartbreak.”

“That’s sweet.”

“What about your parents?”

“Not a whole lot to tell. My father was a deadbeat who left my mother when I was still a baby. And then my mother tried her best but got caught up in drugs when I was 6. I have a few memories of her, but I was taken away from her when she went to prison for possession with the intent to sell. By the time that she got out, I was already 17 and she didn’t want to be saddled with an ‘adult’ so I stayed in the system until I aged out.”

“Is that why you adopted Henry?”

“Partially. I didn’t like the idea of him growing up in the system. I was fairly lucky that I didn’t have anything too horrible happen to me, but I know several foster kids who were abused physically and mentally. But the main reason that I adopted Henry, was because I calmed him when the nurses couldn’t seem to. He had been crying nonstop and when I held him and spoke to him, he quieted down and just stared at me. It felt like he was already connected to me from the first moment. I couldn’t let him go back to the strangers who he wouldn’t settle for.”

“That’s so sweet. Maybe he heard your voice while he was in the womb since you were living with his mother? Is that a ‘thing’?”

“It’s very possible. I like to think that he was always meant to be mine and we both felt it instantly. It’s ridiculous, but it’s his ‘fairytale’ beginning,” Emma responds with a gentle smile on her face.

“It sounds so magical when you tell it. Does Henry know that he’s adopted?”

“I’ve told him that he didn’t come from my belly, but I don’t know that he fully understands what that means. I don’t want to hide it from him, though. I’m not sure if he ever would have figured it out, but I was worried he’d feel like I’d lied to him. So I’ve brought it up periodically that I chose him, and will continue to choose him.”

“You sound like such a good mom.”

“Thanks, I try my best,” Emma responds with a beaming smile. During the brief lull in the conversation, Emma glances at her watch. “Damn, I probably need to go soon. Mary is meant to go to a movie tonight, so she can’t watch Henry as late as usual.”

The pair get up and discard their empty bowls by the trash can before leaving the restaurant. Regina motions to her car that is parked in the nearest parking space.

“I had a good time,” Regina starts. “I feel much better about ‘us’ now that we’ve talked it out. I appreciate you being so patient with me... I’m sure it’s frustrating to deal with my fear when you’re probably even more nervous about a stranger with your son.”

“Thank you for being willing to talk it out instead of just ghosting me.”

“I hope you have a good rest of the evening. You better get home to Henry.”

“You’re right, I should go. I’ll talk to you soon, though,” Emma says as she stays rooted in place. After a few awkward seconds, she bolts forward for a clumsy hug before turning and walking briskly to her car. Regina takes a few seconds to register what had just happened but she catches sight of the blonde just before Emma closes the door to her SUV. Throughout her drive home, Regina wears a smile as she remembers different aspects of their conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for missing a week, life got away from me.

Regina is telling Lena about the date while taking a break during her normal closing shift the following Monday.

“What did she say about you and Henry?” Lena asks.

“Basically, she said it’ll be a while before I’m allowed to meet him, but it’ll be up to Henry and me to decide what my role will be. She doesn’t expect me to be his other mother, but it’s not off the table that I could become his parent in the future... if I wanted to.”

“How do you feel about that? Are you gonna try to make it work with her?”

“Tentatively, yes. We’re gonna see how it goes. I made it very clear that I want us to be completely solid before I meet Henry. I don’t want to get attached to him and then we break up. I wouldn’t want that for him, either.”

“Has that happened to him in the past?”

“Actually, she said she hasn’t been in a relationship with anyone since Henry was born. Which makes me question if she knows how **she’ll** feel with me around him. That concerns me, but she seemed very level-headed while we were talking.”

“What about dates? Are you only able to see her once a week until you decide it’s serious? That is going to take forever,” Lena expresses her concern.

“I don’t know. This is so much to take in, I don’t really know how we’re supposed to do it.”

“Where did you leave it? Have you talked since Friday night?”

“We have texted a lot, and I think we both want to see each other again. But we haven’t made plans, yet.”

“Are you going to plan the next date? She planned the first one and I wouldn’t really say Friday was a ‘date’ because it was so heavy. You should do something fun,” Lena suggested with excitement in her voice.

“We had wanted to do a movie, but I suggested _Frozen 2_ , which is when she dropped the ‘H-bomb’ on me. Maybe I should find another movie that isn’t a children’s movie… What do you think?”

“That could work. _Charlie’s Angels_ is out, that would be fun.”

“I’ll see what she thinks, but we had better get back out there,” Regina responds as she makes her way for the door. A few minutes later, between customers, she sends Emma a text message.

_R: I’m off Friday and Saturday this week. Would you be able to go out either of those days?_

_E: Definitely. Let me talk to Mary to see if she could watch Henry either of those days._

_R: Great, let me know!_

“Hey, how are you doing?” Mal asks as she enters the customer service area.

“I’m alright, how are you?”

“Pretty good. How was work while I was gone?”

“Dreadful!” Regina responds with a hand to her chest for dramatic flair. 

Mal laughs before responding, “Oh you’re just jealous.”

“You have no idea... How was Cancun?” 

“Oh my god, it was so amazing!” Mal gushes. “We spent most of the time in a cabana on the beach. Vicky got wasted the first day, so the staff knew us very well. Some of them gave us a hard time, but most of them went out of their way to get us everything we wanted. It was so magical.”

Regina feels jealousy boil in her stomach, imagining Mal and her girlfriend on the beach. “That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Oh, it really was. You should go, someday!”

“Yeah, as soon as I win the lottery, I’ll be right there,” Regina deadpans. While she usually looks for any reason to interact with Mal, hearing the other woman gush about her amazing vacation with her girlfriend is not Regina’s idea of fun. Thankfully, a customer approaches the customer service counter, stopping any further conversation. 

After the transaction is complete, Regina hears Mal’s voice addressing her once again. “So, for real, how was work while I was out?”

“It was pretty typical. Graham was his normal self, so closing wasn’t the most fun. But we survived.”

Unexpectedly, the pair hear Lena’s voice from 2 registers away, “Don’t **even** play like you didn’t meet the woman of your dreams while Mal was frolicking in the sand!”

Regina feels her face heat with embarrassment as her head snaps toward the sound of Lena’s voice. With a scowl, Regina responds, “She was only gone for a week, you’re being ridiculous!”

“Oh my god, you met someone?” Mal shrieks.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Tell me everything!”

“There’s not much to tell, we went out a couple of times.”

“Oh, so you’re not seeing her again?” Mal responds with a hint of condescension in her voice.

Regina bristles and replies, “Actually, we’re planning to go out again this weekend. It’s **my** turn to plan the date, so I want to knock her off her feet.”

“Hmm. In that case, let’s hope you succeed.”

Regina feels her anger growing at how little faith Mal seems to have in her. “Thanks, I’m sure it’ll be great.”

“You know she’d be happy with any date as long as you’re there. You’re what she cares about,” Lena voices, calming Regina’s emotions and bringing a slight grin to her face.

“Thanks, Lena.”

* * *

Saturday morning, Regina picks Emma up for a brunch date. Emma had felt bad, but her neighbor couldn’t babysit either Friday or Saturday evening. If it had bothered Regina, she hadn’t let it show during their text conversations. 

“Hey, you look beautiful this morning. How are you?” Regina questions as Emma climbs into the passenger seat of Regina’s car.

“I’m great! And thank you so much. That’s really sweet of you to say. You look gorgeous, yourself.”

“Thanks. You ready?”

“Yep, all set.”

“You said that we have until 3:00, right?”

“Yeah, I’d like to be back a little before that to let Mary have some extra time before her date, but 3:00 at the latest,” Emma explains.

“No problem, I just wanted to make sure.”

“So, what are we doing today? You’ve been very secretive about the plans.”

“Our first stop is the Black Walnut Cafe. I looked at the menu, I think you’ll have several options. Have you ever been there?” Regina replies nervously.

“No, I haven’t, but I’m sure it’ll be great. Breakfast is one of the easier meals for me since I do eat eggs.”

“Okay, awesome.”

The quick drive passes with the pair listening to the song on the radio station until Regina parks the car in front of the restaurant.

They are seated quickly and a waitress takes their orders.

“What’s your favorite type of food?” Regina asks once they are alone.

Emma’s eyes light up as she exclaims, “I **love** food! I’m not very picky, I’ll eat pretty much anything. If I had to choose a favorite type, I’d probably say Mexican, but I would be sad if that’s the only type of food I could eat for the rest of my life.”

“Oh, I love Mexican food, too. I’m probably a bit pickier than you, but I’m usually good about trying anything.”

“Does that mean Mexican is your favorite food or do you have something else you like even more?”

“It’s a tie between Mexican and Italian.”

“Solid choices, for sure. Do you have a favorite dish from those?”

“I usually order steak fajitas at Mexican restaurants. Italian is a toss-up between Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Alfredo, or Ravioli. I don’t know that I can narrow it down more than that,” Regina responds with a chuckle. “What about you? What’s your favorite dish?”

“It really depends on the restaurant, but my safest choice is usually a fajita veggie quesadilla. Some places definitely do it better than others, but the cheese can cover up almost any issues that there may be with the veggies.” 

“Do you cook?” Regina asks.

“Yeah, I try not to eat out too often. I can control the ingredients and the nutrition of my meals much more if I’m the one making them. I also like to keep Henry from expecting us to eat out. He’s still very young, but I want him to be healthy. While growing up in the system, I saw so many children get hooked on processed food or fast food. And there are plenty of adults who rarely eat at home. I’d hate for him to get used to eating out and not appreciate my home cooking anymore.”

“That makes sense. I bet your food is way better, anyway.”

“I’m not sure it tastes better, but I know it’s healthier. What about you, do you cook?”

“I occasionally cook, but I’m so busy that it’s fairly rare. I know **how** to cook, it’s just a matter of not having time to prepare it. Lasagna is definitely my best dish, though.”

“Oh man, I **love** lasagna.”

“Maybe I can make some for you, someday.”

“That’d be nice. And I’ll make you my Mexican fried rice someday.”

“Mexican fried rice? I’ve never heard of that. What do you put in it?”

“I made it up, and I change what I put in it nearly every time I make it. The basics include rice, or riced cauliflower, black beans, corn, and cilantro. I usually will add more vegetables, depending on what I have in the fridge. I like to sneak in mushrooms and onion, but Henry will refuse to eat dinner if he sees me put them in while cooking. He’s so good about eating veggies, but there are a few that he thinks are gross based upon their smell or how they look,” Emma explains with a soft smile.

“I’m surprised that he’ll eat veggies so well. Most kids will only eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.”

“He and I both love mac and cheese, but it is a special occasion type of meal because it doesn’t really have much nutrition. Even when we do eat it, it is strictly a side dish to complement a nutritious meal.”

Regina sheepishly replies, “I think you’d cringe if you see my diet.”

“I’m not gonna judge. I used to eat anything and everything that I wanted. It wasn’t until Lily was pregnant with Henry that I began learning what food is nutritious and what is merely filling the stomach. It has taken me years to get to where I am with my diet. Thankfully, Henry started out eating this way so it hasn’t been a huge adjustment for him.”

As Emma finished her statement, she caught the eye of the waitress as she approached with a tray holding their food. The pair continue their conversation in between bites of food before Regina pays the bill and they leave the restaurant.

“Do you have anything else planned?” Emma asks when they are back inside Regina’s car.

“I was thinking we could go see _Charlie’s Angels_ or some other movie if you’re interested.”

“That sounds good. Do you know what time it starts?”

“There’s an 11:50 showing at the AMC on Kriss St. Would that work?”

“Perfect,” Emma responds. 

* * *

“What did you think of the movie?” Regina asks once they are back in the car.

“It was good, I enjoyed it. What about you?”

“Yeah, I liked it too. It looks like I probably need to get you home so that Mary has plenty of time to get ready,” Regina states with a hint of disappointment in her tone.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Emma responds with a sigh as she texts Mary that they are on their way. “Mary and Henry are on a walk, but she said they’ll start heading home now.”

The women ride in comfortable silence for the brief drive to Emma’s home. Regina parks the car by the curb in front of the building. She gets out of the car and walks around to meet Emma on the sidewalk. “I had a great time. Thanks for agreeing to go out,” Regina states.

“I had a lot of fun too. Thank you for inviting me and working around my schedule. Breakfast isn’t the most typical d-AAHH!” Emma yells as she fights to stay on her feet from the impact to her side.

“Mommy! You’re back!! We saw ducks! And a frog! And a butterfly! There was a doggie named Mill-uh,” the small boy finishes.

A look of panic crosses Emma’s face, realizing that Henry and Regina were standing mere feet apart from one another. She quickly recovers to respond to her son, “Really? That’s so cool! What color was Milla?” Emma turns her body away from Regina in an effort to block the boy’s view of the other woman.

“Mill-uh is brown with white spots! She licked my face!”

“Ewwwwww. Now you need a bath,” Emma teasingly holds his head at arm’s length.

“Don’t be ruh-diculous mommy,” he responds with more sass than any four-year-old should possess.

Regina senses the discomfort in Emma’s posture and wishes she had never gotten out of the car. She’s unsure of how to leave the situation without raising Henry’s suspicions, so she inches herself toward the driver’s side. “Thank you for our meeting, Miss Swan. If you have any further questions for me, feel free to reach out.”

Emma’s head jerks toward the other woman with a look of confusion. “Uhhh, o…kay. Thanks… Miss Mills.”

With a flush of embarrassment, Regina quickly gets into the car and drives away from the mother and son.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, please let me know what you think. Should I keep going?


End file.
